Children, theater are Molly Malone's focus

Saturday

Molly Malone apologized for the messy state of her office at Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

"It's prep time right now," she said. "Crunch time."

Malone, the theater's director of education and outreach, was preparing for the annual summer camps.

Over the coming weeks, she would be helping coach hundreds of children ages 5 through 19 in the basics of acting, singing and dancing. The work will culminate with the presentation of three plays — "Madagascar Jr.," "The Aristocats Kids" and Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night."

A daunting task, but one for which Malone is well suited. Her background includes work both on the stage and in the classroom.

A native of Wingate, the 30-year-old Malone came to Fayetteville in November 2015 from Cookeville, Tennessee, where she taught high school theater.

Before that, Malone earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in theater education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also taught theater in Duplin County.

And Malone is no stranger to the stage herself. Recently, the theater's audiences saw her in the spoof "Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery," in which she played more than a dozen characters.

But this summer will be all about the kids for Malone. She is assisted in the theater camps by music director LeeAnn Valcarcel, choreographer Nathan Cuffee and "Twelfth Night" guest director Sarah Hankins.

"I love it. I love the impact that theater has, especially on kids," Malone said. "They learn teamwork, communication and speaking up for yourself when needed."

The summer workshops aren't Malone's only interaction with theater-minded children. She also directs the theater's annual production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever."

The play has been a mainstay at the theater since 1991. Thousands of children have cycled through the production, some performing for several years in various roles.

From humble beginnings, the play has grown to include three casts of about 65 children each.

"There are kids that grow up with it. They start out as a baby angel and end up as (character) Imogene Herdman," Malone said. "It's great to be a part of that."

While her work with young people keeps her busy, Malone occasionally finds time for stage work of her own, such as April's "Baskerville." The quick-paced play featured actors playing multiple roles. Malone played 13, including a maid, a society matron and a little boy.

The work was exhausting, requiring the actors to change costumes and accents at the drop of a hat. But for Malone, it was a "stress reliever."

"I just get to focus on learning my lines, learning the character, knowing the blocking and knowing that the director has to make all the decisions," she said. "I can just relax in that. To be able to say, 'Tell me what to do and I'll do it' is nice."

Staff writer Rodger Mullen can be reached at rmullen@fayobserver.com or 486-3561.

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